# Oops! I just bought an EdgeStar wine fridge!



## aroma (Apr 12, 2010)

I've been a little frustrated with how I've had to contrive to keep my wood humidors humidified in the current dry weather (under 30% ambient RH in the room right now). I came across an "open box" 28-bottle EdgeStar at CompactAppliance.com a couple of days ago, and just pulled the trigger on the spot, an impulse buy, but one I'm happy with at $119 shipped.










I won't be running the fridge, since it will be in a room that is 70F 24/7/365.

My current thinking is 2 lbs of Heartfelt beads, a couple of spanish cedar drawers from WaxingMoon, and just use a couple of the wire shelves that come with the EdgeStar to hold one of my wood humidors and a box or two. So the total investment would be around $200 plus beads (some of which I already have).

I've skimmed a few "wineador" threads, but would appreciate any suggestions anyone has (except about kitty litter, since I've already waded thru a *lot* of kitty litter discussion in other threads).


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## Jazzmunkee (Jul 3, 2008)

I know nothing about these but I would love to have one for that price so I say nice job! Enjoy!


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## Son Of Thor (Apr 14, 2010)

Nice pick up!


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## centralharbor (May 20, 2010)

If it's going to be in a room that's 70f all the time, wouldn't it have been cheaper to just use a cooler? Or is this for aesthetics purposes?


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## aroma (Apr 12, 2010)

centralharbor said:


> If it's going to be in a room that's 70f all the time, wouldn't it have been cheaper to just use a cooler? Or is this for aesthetics purposes?


Mainly for aesthetics.
Also the convenience of drawers over stacking trays.

I do already have a 28-qt cooler filled with stacked trays, which I will continue to use. I will probably retire one of my wood desktop humidors and put the other one inside the EdgeStar.


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## Senate1123 (Mar 30, 2008)

WOW! I might have an accidental purchase too!


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## JustOneMoreStick (Sep 21, 2009)

I replaced the shelves in mine with thin 1/4 inch popular from home depot and just stack boxes in there With some of the Kat Krap Kontainment Media in bags scattered throughout. But I would love to see the drawers that Ed would make for you.


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## DeeSkank (May 26, 2010)

You won't regret it! Especially at that price.

The trays from Ed sound like a great idea, however...I suggest that you get some shelves made from him as well or make your own. Those wire-racks are pretty annoying to stack boxes and they leave some dead space.

Believe me, I know...Been waiting since the end of August for mine.


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## FridayGt (Oct 24, 2010)

That is a steal! I don't have any wisdom for you on the topic, but can't wait to see the finished product! Heck, I'd love to see the work in progress!


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## bcannon87 (Sep 8, 2010)

I have had mine for about 2 months and i love it! And as soon as i have the money i am going to get some shelves from waxing moon!


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## Athion (Jul 17, 2010)

With low ambient RH the only advice I can give is to seal up the drain and make it good and airtight. 

If you aren't going to run it, you might want a fan in there as well (or you can just get a cheap timer and have it kick on a couple of times a day, the internal fan will move all the air you need IMO)


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## swingerofbirches (Jan 12, 2010)

Great pickup!!! 
As detail oriented as you are, I'm looking forward to seeing pics of the finished product.


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## jswaykos (Oct 26, 2010)

I almost "accidentally" purchased a $200 vinotemp from Tuesday Morning a couple weeks ago, but the wife would've killed me. She's fairly understanding about this hobby, but I didn't feel like pushing my luck.


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## Athion (Jul 17, 2010)

Here's what you do Joe, find an old, beat up cooler somewhere (Garage sale maybe?) and put some empty boxes in it (nothing you want to keep and no cigars, no telling what sort of nasties are living in a used cooler)... and then plop it down in the middle of the living room (or anywhere as conspicuous) ... then when your wife complains agree with her wholeheartedly about how bad it looks, show her the picture of the Vino/Edge/whatever and remark how you really wanted one of these, but you couldn't justify the expense... 

:angel: :biggrin::smoke:


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## jswaykos (Oct 26, 2010)

Athion said:


> Here's what you do Joe, find an old, beat up cooler somewhere (Garage sale maybe?) and put some empty boxes in it (nothing you want to keep and no cigars, no telling what sort of nasties are living in a used cooler)... and then plop it down in the middle of the living room (or anywhere as conspicuous) ... then when your wife complains agree with her wholeheartedly about how bad it looks, show her the picture of the Vino/Edge/whatever and remark how you really wanted one of these, but you couldn't justify the expense...
> 
> :angel: :biggrin::smoke:


Haha!!! I thought this was going the direction of scolding me for wanting a wine fridge instead of a simple cooler. I had already written a response in my head about how it'd be an admittedly aesthetic driven purchase.

Sounds like an old, yard sale, used-for-fishing cooler is gonna somehow find it's way to our dining room table.


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## tiger187126 (Jul 17, 2010)

jswaykos said:


> Haha!!! I thought this was going the direction of scolding me for wanting a wine fridge instead of a simple cooler. I had already written a response in my head about how it'd be an admittedly aesthetic driven purchase.
> 
> Sounds like an old, yard sale, used-for-fishing cooler is gonna somehow find it's way to our dining room table.


i have my coolidor by the nightstand in the bedroom. i keep showing her pictures of fully converted wineadors.

just gotta keep planting those seeds.


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## austintxeric (Dec 15, 2009)

I would love to do a EdgeStar conversion. It is hard to keep my humidor under 75 degrees here in Austin during the summers without cranking the AC for the entire house. Do they have any more 'open boxes' available Aroma?


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## KcJason1 (Oct 20, 2010)

Nice Pick up man! I had to stroll over and check out the goods... Looks like I may have to order one for me from them very soon... Thanks.


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## gibson_es (Jan 23, 2010)

thats a great deal, last i looked it was hard to find them at $200 shipped, i cant blame you for jumping on that boat!


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## KcJason1 (Oct 20, 2010)

gibson_es said:


> thats a great deal, last i looked it was hard to find them at $200 shipped, i cant blame you for jumping on that boat!


I just saw another 28 bottle edgestar for $99 with free shipping on there.... Go ahead pull the trigger!!! haha If I had the means ATM I would!


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## ptpablo (Aug 22, 2010)

Nice buy!!!! solid purchase!!


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## aroma (Apr 12, 2010)

austintxeric said:


> Do they have any more 'open boxes' available Aroma?


They come available occasionally, whenever a customer returns one.

Here's a link for the EdgeStar 28 open box: click.

Here are all their open box items: click.


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## aroma (Apr 12, 2010)

DeeSkank said:


> The trays from Ed sound like a great idea, however...I suggest that you get some shelves made from him as well or make your own. Those wire-racks are pretty annoying to stack boxes and they leave some dead space.


Thanks for the advice.

I just exchanged emails with Ed, and he's not currently offering flat shelves with routed-out slots for airflow, like Chasidor does. Also, I happen to have some left-over 16" wire shelves sitting unused in my garage, so I'm planning to make shelves like this, which will cost me nothing and should maximize air circulation:










For construction details, see www.coolidor.com.


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## aroma (Apr 12, 2010)

*The plot thickens...*

I received my EdgeStar 28 today, but it arrived damaged! The padding in the box was woefully inadequate. Some of the plastic was broken around the door hinges and the door was wrenched loose from the hinges. There are also a couple of thin cracks in the door.




























I called CompactAppliance, and they instructed me to cut off the cord and send them a photo of it, which I have done, and they have promised to refund my money, and I can do what I want with the unit.

I don't need the fridge anyway (and if I did, the cord could be replaced). There was enough intact plastic around the hinges that I was able to get it reassembled, and it appears to be functional, but with some cosmetic damage. I don't know if the damage to the plastic affects the seal. I'm going to see how it holds humidity, and if the seal is still good, I'm going to keep the unit. I wouldn't pay for a damaged unit like this, but for free, I'm willing to live with the cosmetic damage.

BTW, now that I have one in front of me, it's smaller than I imagined from looking at pictures. I'm guessing it will hold 400 sticks easily and 500 if packed tightly. It's volume is around 75 qts, making it smaller than the larger coolers, but it is cooler. :wink:

I give Compact Appliance a mixed review:
Pro: good price, quick shipment, excellent return service.
Con: way too little padding in the shipping box, no shipping status by email or on website (but the unit did arrive quickly).


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## DeeSkank (May 26, 2010)

*Re: The plot thickens...*



aroma said:


> I give Compact Appliance a mixed review:
> Pro: good price, quick shipment, excellent return service.
> Con: way too little padding in the shipping box, no shipping status by email or on website (but the unit did arrive quickly).


Dude, mixed review? You got a *free* wine cooler! :lol:


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## jswaykos (Oct 26, 2010)

*Re: The plot thickens...*



DeeSkank said:


> Dude, mixed review? You got a *free* wine cooler! :lol:


Ha, I was thinking the same thing. It's FREE. I'd work around a bullet hole if it were a free.


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## austintxeric (Dec 15, 2009)

Does it appear that it was damaged during it's shipment to you, or could this possibly be why it was originally returned an considered an 'open box item'? That is good that they seem to be making it good by giving you a full refund and allowing you to keep the unit. I am keeping my eye open for deals on one of these units so I am very interested in how your experience goes.


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## aroma (Apr 12, 2010)

*Re: The plot thickens...*



DeeSkank said:


> Dude, mixed review? You got a *free* wine cooler! :lol:


Well, the jury is still out on whether it's worth anything.

I'd rather have a perfect one for $119 than what I have for free. I thought about ordering another one, but there aren't any available now. Also, given how the thing was packed, I'm concerned about ordering from them again. (It's very possible that their full-price stuff is packed better.)


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## aroma (Apr 12, 2010)

austintxeric said:


> Does it appear that it was damaged during it's shipment to you, or could this possibly be why it was originally returned an considered an 'open box item'? That is good that they seem to be making it good by giving you a full refund and allowing you to keep the unit. I am keeping my eye open for deals on one of these units so I am very interested in how your experience goes.


I really doubt they would have shipped it to me with that much damage. Also, given that there was essentially no padding underneath the unit, it's hard to see how it could not have been damaged in shipment.


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## aroma (Apr 12, 2010)

It appears that my experience is somewhat atypical. For a long thread about this on another forum, click here.

That thread mentions an Avanti unit available for $160 shipped.


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## austintxeric (Dec 15, 2009)

aroma said:


> I really doubt they would have shipped it to me with that much damage. Also, given that there was essentially no padding underneath the unit, it's hard to see how it could not have been damaged in shipment.


That's good to know. I have been keeping my eye out for these and I had previously heard good reviews about compactappliances, but now I'm second guessing. Does anyone else know of a good source for these EdgeStars?


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## DeeSkank (May 26, 2010)

*Re: The plot thickens...*



aroma said:


> Well, the jury is still out on whether it's worth anything.
> 
> I'd rather have a perfect one for $119 than what I have for free. I thought about ordering another one, but there aren't any available now. Also, given how the thing was packed, I'm concerned about ordering from them again. (It's very possible that their full-price stuff is packed better.)


I ordered my Edgestar from the same site, and it arrived just fine. It was packed really well from what I remember.

I wonder if the open-box one was returned and missing some packaging, and they forgot to re-package.


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## LosingSleep (Dec 26, 2009)

*Re: The plot thickens...*



DeeSkank said:


> I ordered my Edgestar from the same site, and it arrived just fine. It was packed really well from what I remember.
> 
> I wonder if the open-box one was returned and missing some packaging, and they forgot to re-package.


Ditto here. My EdgeStar could not have been packaged any better.

I'd send the broken door to Ed at Waxing Moon  and have him fabricate something. He might be interested in building a replacement door for us EdgeStar owners which could make it more aesthetically pleasing or stained to match furniture...


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## JustOneMoreStick (Sep 21, 2009)

How is that an oops buy?


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## JustOneMoreStick (Sep 21, 2009)

As long as it seals I guess you can use it to store cigars instead of your fine wines.


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## aroma (Apr 12, 2010)

JustOneMoreStick said:


> How is that an oops buy?


It was meant tongue-in-cheek.


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## aroma (Apr 12, 2010)

I've done some experiments on the humidification behavior of this thing over the last couple of days. I put in half a pound of 65% beads and couple of calibrated hygrometers into the empty EdgeStar. Oddly, the hygrometers went to 70% !

I didn't know what to make of this, but I aired it out (ambient RH is around 30%) and closed it up, and again it went up to 70%. I aired it out repeatedly, and eventually, it held at 66%.

At this point, it occurred to me to see how it behaved without any beads. I aired it out again, and with the hygros reading 33%, I removed the beads and closed the door. Came back in a few hours, and it was reading 44% !

Where could the humidity be coming from? Attached below is a photo of the door, from the back (taken with the door open):










Some of the door's insulation has been jostled loose and is visible inside the door. Before I reattached the door, I could hear this stuff rolling around inside; I think the door is mostly filled with it.

In the photo, you can see a separation between the pieces of plastic that make up the door. I'm hypothesizing that this insulation must be holding water and releasing it into the interior of the unit. Who knows what this stuff is, or what effect it may have on my cigars? There is an unpleasant smell that is probably a combination of plastic and adhesive and maybe this insulation material.

This thing has too many problems; I'm going to give up on it and just stick with my wood humidors for now.

[Edit: BTW, I'm pretty experienced with beads, and I don't think I over-hydrated them in the beginning. And even if I had, the humidity still rose well above ambient RH inside an empty EdgeStar after I removed the beads, so I'm sure there's some unexplained humidity source.]


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## marked (Jul 29, 2010)

Those brown beads look like humidification beads that have discolored.


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## Mante (Dec 25, 2009)

Now I'm confused. It's holding between 66 & 70%RH with beads & your seeing a problem? :yield:


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## aroma (Apr 12, 2010)

Tashaz said:


> Now I'm confused. It's holding between 66 & 70%RH with beads & your seeing a problem? :yield:


Chuckle...

Besides the fact that it looks like it's been through the war, I don't trust whatever mystery material is inside that door with my cigars. This thing was a lark anyway, and I've already wasted too much time on it.

I'll wait until the next irresistible deal to comes along.
:banghead:


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## aroma (Apr 12, 2010)

*Custom Door from Waxing Moon*



LosingSleep said:


> I'd send the broken door to Ed at Waxing Moon  and have him fabricate something. He might be interested in building a replacement door for us EdgeStar owners which could make it more aesthetically pleasing or stained to match furniture...


For some reason, when I first saw this post, I breezed by it, without really thinking about it. I saw it again later and realized I really like the idea!

I've contacted Ed, and we have a plan in place for him to make a replacement door, using the glass and seal from my old door.

Thanks for the great suggestion!


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## Seasick Sailor (Jan 3, 2011)

austintxeric said:


> That's good to know. I have been keeping my eye out for these and I had previously heard good reviews about compactappliances, but now I'm second guessing. Does anyone else know of a good source for these EdgeStars?


I just ordered a brand new one form Overstock.com for $184.74 including shipping on Sunday. It should arrive by Friday.


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